Women @ Work
On the heels of reports that women may soon outnumber men in the workplace, it seems that just about every media outlet has run a story on the changing landscape of the American workplace. Business Week, The New York Times and now TIME magazine have all devoted considerable space to this issue.
So, what are the latest facts? Here are the highlights:
- When Will Women Be #1? Women now constitute 49.83% of the U.S. workforce. Experts predict that women will top the 50% mark by the end of 2009.
- Who Brings Home the Bread? 40% of women say they’re the #1 breadwinner in the household. In 1970, the wife was the sole breadwinner in less than a million households. That number has now more than tripled to 3.3 million.
- Equal Pay? In 1972, women made 58¢ for every $1 earned by men. Now, it’s 77¢.
- Equal Education? The percentage of college students who are female has grown from 43% in 1972 to 57% today.
- Equal Jobs? Since 1970, the percentage of female doctors has grown from 8% to 28% and the percentage of female lawyers has grown from 3% to 32%.
- Do Women Have to Act Like Men To Succeed? No, say 71% of women and 74% of men.
- Is the Glass Ceiling Gone? 60% of men say there are no longer any barriers to women succeeding in the workplace. Only 50% of women agree.
- More Working Moms. In 1975, only 47% of women with children worked. That number is now 71%.
- Resentment? 69% of women believe that men resent women who have more power than them. Only 49% of men agree.
- Are Men Getting More Tolerant? 71% of today’s men say they’re more OK with the concept of working women than their fathers were.
- Are Women Getting Less Dependent? 70% of today’s women say they’re less financially dependent on their husbands than their mothers were.
- Are Employers Doing Enough? 84% say that companies aren’t doing enough to address the needs of working families. The #1 identified area of improvement? Allowing more flexible work schedules.
What does all this add up to? Here’s what the authors of the TIME report concluded: “It’s no longer a man’s world. Nor is it a woman’s nation. It’s a cooperative, with bylaws under constant negotiation and expectations that profits be equally shared.”
Click here to see the TIME report. Click here for my previous ramblings on the “Mancession” and other related topics.
Sources: Business Week, The New York Times, TIME, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, American Bar Association, American Medical Association.